The numbers from the latest ISPRA report tell us that in Italy separate waste collection has exceeded (66.6%) for the second consecutive year the target of 65% set by national and European regulations: two thirds of the municipal waste produced by Italians was separated, equal to over 19.5 million tonnes in a single year. According to 2023 data, in the South there is the province where it differs least, Palermo, while Bologna is in first place among the large cities.
The ranking of the regions that do waste sorting best
In 2023, separate waste collection reached 66.6% of the waste produced by Italians, with a growth of 1.4 points compared to the previous year. In practice, only one waste bag in three still ends up in the unsorted bin.
However, there is a strong territorial difference: only 68 provinces exceed the 65% target set by the 2012 legislation, of which 40 are in the North, and only 13 in the Center and 15 in the South. The North, in fact, is the most virtuous area: more than 7 waste out of 10 (73%) is separated. In the lead is Veneto (which exceeds 77%), and above all the province of Treviso (almost 90%). But all the northern regions exceed the target, with the sole exception of Liguria (58%).
In the Center and the South, however, the share of separate waste collection stops at 62% and 59% respectively. Lazio and all the regions of Southern Italy, except Sardinia, do not hit the target. The Italian province where it differs the least is Palermo, with only 37%: just over one bag in three.
Even if the geographical gap remains large, it is slowly reducing thanks to the progress of the South. In fact, between 2019 and 2023 it was precisely the regions of the South that recorded the greatest growth in separate waste collection.
The data also tells us that among large cities (over 200,000 inhabitants) Bologna stands out, which in 2023 exceeded 73%, becoming the first large Italian city to consistently exceed the 65% target.
But what ends up in the recycling bins? According to the legislation, the types of waste that can be separated are:
- organic (wet and green)
- packaging (plastic, paper, cardboard, glass, metal and wood)
- bulky items sent for recovery
- part of construction and demolition waste
- street cleaning waste sent for recovery
- textile waste
- selective collections (drugs, batteries, paints, inks, vegetable oils and mineral oils, etc.)
- waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)
- other fractions collected separately and sent for recovery
In Italy, over a third of separate waste collection is made up of organic waste, mainly composed of kitchen and canteen waste, but also from the maintenance of green areas, gardens and parks. This is followed by paper and cardboard, glass and plastic packaging.
A growing sector is that of the recycling of textile waste: from 1 January 2022, separate collection of waste is mandatory in Italy, anticipating European directives. However, there are still not enough recycling facilities dedicated to textiles to be able to fully comply with this obligation.
The comparison between Italy and Europe
Compared to Europe, as far as separate waste collection is concerned, Italy is doing well in various fields. In 2022, municipal waste was managed as follows in the European Union:
- 31% started recycling the dry fractions
- 26% energy recovery or incineration
- 19% composting and aerobic/anaerobic digestion
- 24% disposed of in landfill.
Italy is above the EU average in the recycling of dry fractions (32%) and in composting and anaerobic/aerobic digestion (26%). However, it is below average for energy recovery and incineration (22%) and landfill disposal or other operations (20%).
Europe is then invaded by packaging: almost 80 million tonnes per year, equal to 177.8 kg per capita: 40% is paper and cardboard, 20% plastic, 19% glass, 16% wood, 5% metal. Of these, only a part is recycled. For example, in 2023, an average of 35.3 kg of plastic packaging waste was generated for every person living in the EU. Of these, only 14.8 kg were recycled. In plastic recycling, Italy stops in the middle of the table, just under 50% but still above the EU average.
Overall, however, packaging waste recycling in Italy is at levels of European excellence: in 2023 with 75.3%, it has already exceeded the EU target of 70% by 2030.
Even in the recycling of special waste, Italy is the European leader with a percentage of 72% of that produced in 2022.
In short, when it comes to separate waste collection, Italy is rather well positioned in Europe. And our every daily gesture in differentiating correctly contributes to maintaining this advantage.
